Animal welfare: The welfare of pigs
National Legislation
The welfare of pigs is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 under which it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Act also contains a Duty of Care to animals - this means that anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure the animal’s needs are met. This means that a person has to look after an animal’s welfare as well as ensure that it does not suffer.
These general requirements are supplemented by detailed requirements set out in the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007 No 2078). These Regulations replaced the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended) on 1st October 2007. The new Regulations are made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The content of the new Regulations is very similar to the previous Regulations. Schedule 8 of these Regulations covers pigs and sets down detailed requirements for e.g. accommodation, inspection, feed and water and environmental enrichment.
Further information on the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 is available.
Similar legislation exists in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For further information on animal welfare in these areas please contact the appropriate devolved administration.
Welfare code
There is a Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of pigs, which contains advice for stock-keepers on best pig husbandry practice. The existing Code continues to apply under the new Animal Welfare Act, but with the introduction of the Act and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, the references to the legislation throughout the code are now out of date. Whilst the vast majority of the 2003 Regulations are replicated by the 2007 Regulations, you should check the legislation as it currently stands.
A welfare code for pigs 
(125 KB) is available for download.
Enforcement
Animal Health (formerly the State Veterinary Service) carries out welfare inspections on farms to check that the legislation and the welfare codes are being followed. In addition to spot checks and planned visits, the Animal Health urgently follows up all complaints and allegations of poor welfare on specific farms. Where welfare problems are found, the Animal Health usually gives advice or warnings to farmers which, in most cases, results in satisfactory improvements being made. However, where necessary, Defra initiates prosecution action against farmers, sometimes in co-operation with local authorities and/or the RSPCA.
Europe
Council Directive 2001/88/EC and Commission Directive 2001/93/EC, which were adopted in October 2001 amend Directive 91/630/EC which lays down minimum standards for the welfare of pigs. The Directives came into effect in all Member States on 1 January 2003.
Previously, they were implemented in England through the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 No. 299) which came into force on 14 February 2003. As of 1st October 2007 these Regulations have been replaced by the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007. The new Regulations are made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The content of the new Regulations is very similar to the previous Regulations.
The key provisions of the Regulations on pig welfare are:
- That all pigs must have permanent access to manipulable materials;
- Minimum space allowances for sows and gilts; and
- An increase in the minimum weaning age from 21 to 28 days.
The pig welfare Directives are due to be reviewed in 2008.
- EU Directive 2001/88/EC (90 KB)
- EU Directive 2001/93/EC (90 KB)
Sow stalls
- Close-confinement stalls for breeding sows have been banned in the UK since 1 January 1999. One of the main provisions of EU Directive 2001/88/EC is an EU-wide ban on sow stalls to come fully into force by 1 January 2013;
- While we are very pleased that the EU has banned sow stalls we are, nevertheless, disappointed at the length of the phase out period. However, the overall ban on sow stalls, together with the other welfare improvements in the Directive, represent a major advance in pig welfare across the European Union, and level the playing field in Europe.
Farrowing crates
- A sow can weigh a hundred times more than her piglets and can crush them without noticing. Crushing is by far the largest cause of piglet mortality. It is equally important to protect the welfare of the piglets as that of the sow, which is why farrowing crates are often used;
- Nevertheless, we should prefer if possible, to avoid the close-confinement of all sows. This is why we are funding research to develop and test commercially viable farrowing systems that do not closely confine the sow, but provide adequate protection to piglets;
- Some such alternative systems seem promising in an experimental environment, but in others, piglet mortality has been unacceptably high. It remains the case that results need to be replicated consistently under commercial conditions. As yet, the risk of piglet mortality in alternative farrowing systems remains unacceptably high.
Advice for Farmers
Defra funds ADAS, an agricultural consultancy, to run campaigns to inform farmers about good welfare practices. Details of current campaigns are available.
The Farm Animal Welfare Council report on the Welfare of Pigs Kept Outdoors.
Further information
The following publications on pig welfare are available in electronic format below.
- Pig welfare code
(125 KB)
- Site Suitability for Outdoor Pig Farming
(215 KB)
See also:
The Farm Animal Welfare Council report on the Welfare of Pigs Kept Outdoors
- Pigs and pig meat - Information on the 'farming' pages of the Defra website.
- Pig identification and tracing
Page last modified:
15 August, 2008
Page published: 5 August 2002